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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: lean · ball · current · row · toast · cap · chest · pop

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. chest — a box
  3. cap — a hat
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. row — to paddle
  6. lean — thin
  7. cap — of ice
  8. current — electric
  9. ball — a dance
  10. toast — bread
  11. cap — a lid
  12. row — a line
  13. current — happening now
  14. pop — soda
  15. ball — a great time
  16. chest — of your body
  17. pop — to visit
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. lean — to bend
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. chest — of your body
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. pop — music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com